Have you taken a walk through the life of Jesus?  Have you brought your campers through an experience like this in a way that puts them in the story?

Immersive experiences have power, especially in the context of camp spaces already so experiential in nature. Bringing The Story to life is an honor, and we have an opportunity to make a connection between Jesus' story and our own, and that of our campers.

What kind of spaces and experiences does your camp create to immerse campers in the narrative of God's story? Share in the comments!

Our #StatoftheWeek is around camper financial support. Feel free to download and add your own link, QR code, or messaging around supporting your campership programs before you share.

DOWNLOAD THE #STATOFTHEWEEK GRAPHICS

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

We've been doing what we're built for, turning data into stories, and today on the podcast we're sharing some of these findings via 3 questions: What's changed? What's stayed the same? What's surprising? And, most importantly, why do these things matter.

We've also got a  Quick Qamp Question about attending different camps or sticking with what's familiar, and a Stat of the Week around the level of agreement with the question, "I am happy about my life and who I am."

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

It's time to set this rhythm in motion.

Our brand new project, Rhythms of Faith launches with waves of energy and anticipation of what we'll learn and the impact those learnings will have. Funded by a $1.25 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, we're partnering with Wheaton College and Honeyrock, their center for leadership development, on this exciting project.

On this episode, we'll hear from the Rhythms of Faith Project Co-Directors, Jake Sorenson and Rob Ribbe. They'll share the passion behind this initiative, a breakdown of how the project will phase out, and how you can participate and follow along, as we seek to establish rhythms of faith in the lives of campers, their families, their churches, and their communities.

Engage with Rhythms of Faith
Download the Stat of the Week Graphic

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

"Of all the pillars of health, spirituality is the one that has a perfectly inverse relationship with anxiety and depression."
- Tracey Gaslin

Listen in to this deep conversation with our own Jake Sorenson and Tracey Gaslin, Chief Executive Officer of the Alliance for Camp Health about why and how establishing a culture of health and wellbeing at camp is both possible and a priority, and how everyone at your camp is on the wellness team. Hear how the MESH+ framework gives us real things to pay attention to as we build a community living really well.

Learn more about CampWell
Connect with the Alliance for Camp Health
Download your MESH+ Guide

Download your free #StatoftheWeek Graphic

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

Have you heard that phrase? "Ok, boomer..." Or how about the not-insignificant number of millennial-bashing parody songs across YouTube?

What leads us to slap these "Gen ___" labels on people? Where did they come from? In this episode, we're unpacking generational theory, exploring what may be helpful and not helpful in this way of sociological thinking, and wondering how we approach this for our ministries as we seek to connect with the next generations of staff, campers, and families.

Plus, we've got a Quick Qamp Question about creation care and our #campstatoftheweek = 90%

DOWNLOAD THE EP2 STAT OF THE WEEK GRAPHICS

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

Welcome to Season 3!

We're kicking off this season with a what-to-expect and introducing two new segments we're including in each episode this season. Read more about them and download your free graphic below!  We'll be behind the mic every other week bringing you fresh insights from the latest data, all on a mission to help camping ministry thrive.

Ever seen an amazing panoramic photo, or used the setting on your smart device? This episode features a "panoramic" take on a 2023 summer in review. We'll talk through and help you create 3 quick, clear deliverables to tell, connect, and prepare.

Quick Qamp Question (New Segment for Season 3!)
Each episode, we'll feature a quick qamp question from you. Yep, you! You can submit your question on Facebook, Instagram, direct message, text, email, or carrier pigeon. Want to level up your question? Send us an audio file and we'll try to share it in the episode!

Camp Stat of the Week (New Segment for Season 3!)
Each episode, we'll take a minute to highlight a fresh statistic from the latest research and also give you a simple set of downloadable graphics so you can share it with your camp communities.

DOWNLOAD THE EP1 STAT OF THE WEEK

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

Eat. Let go. Grateful. Jesus. Giggle.

No, it's not a silly camp word game. Ok, maybe a little. The season 2 finale is here! We'll look back at some of the numbers and share our favorite episodes of this season. Hear our longest, shortest, and most listened-to episodes. Any guesses?

Then, we beseech leaders to remember some things for the summer ahead as we launch, encourage, and bless you into this season of ministry.

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

Special guest day! We've got two special guests with direct, experiential perspective on the seasonal migration that is about to or recently has happened for thousands of college students (and many high school too) on their way in to serving as summer camp staff. 

We'll hear from Jenna, one of those students in the midst of such a transition, and from Pastor Dominique Bucholz who serves as a Campus Pastor at the Minnesota State University Moorhead in Minnesota.

Then, Jake talks us through the study we did a few years ago with a campus ministry organization, what we learned, and why is matters. You can check out that study here.

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

Staff training is identified by many leaders and summer staff members alike as their favorite part of the summer. There must be something going on here.

There is. Something that matters. Your camp culture starts here. The creativity, clarity, and community that is gained in these training and orientation experiences set the tone for the summer, impacting campers and families every week.

So how do we do this really well? We use what we've learned to frame staff training in a way that begins to give staff the three things they need to thrive in a summer of ministry: support, agency, and a faithful community. We'll also share stories, ideas, and tips on how to get there.

PS, here are some of the resources and projects we refer to in this episode:
The Camp & Church Leadership Project
Holy Ground: A Guidebook for Summer Camp Staff
Training Throughout the Summer by Kelsey Blinn
BRAND NEW! Sacred Playgrounds Staff Training Opportunities

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.

These are some of the most impactful findings on the pulse of outdoor ministry today, draped in a really hopeful outlook. We unpack things like the biggest threat to outdoor ministry this year, what we're learning about director demographics, the four types of faith-focused camps, and more.

We just finalized the report on the 5th OMC Director's Survey, a biennial study of camp leaders and the ministries they serve, effectively telling a story of where we've been and indicating trajectory for where we're going. These are the kinds of findings any camp can use right now. In this episode, we're sharing some of the most interesting headlines and why they matter. Learn more and access the report at sacredplaygrounds.com/omc.

Come help camp thrive with us on Facebook, Instagram, or at sacredplaygrounds.com.